


If I'm Lucky, And Truly So

by MoonlitGraffiti



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Canon Era, Davey is my favorite I swear, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Sarah Jacobs Will Fight You, Sibling Bonding, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-15 02:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14782316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlitGraffiti/pseuds/MoonlitGraffiti
Summary: When David Jacobs thought of himself, a few traits came to mind; thoughtful, patient, and accepting of change. Change was fine, good even, when he observed it happening around him. It was how the world progressed, and he was perfectly okay with that. It was a fact of life. However, the very night after he'd been beaten by police, the wheels of change began to turn not only around him, but within him. And that, he wasn't sure he was okay with.





	If I'm Lucky, And Truly So

**Author's Note:**

> Alright lovelies, this piece has been in the works for a couple months now and finally I can get it posted! A lot of passion and research has gone into this fic, and I cannot express how much of a labor of love this has been. I am very proud to be posting something like this; it's the first multichapter fic I've attempted in years, and at this point it's over 15,000 words and growing. It means a lot that you even stopped by to give it a read. My heart is so full posting this. Comments and kudos are much appreciated, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> * When writing this, I picture the cast of Newsies! Live, so faces are all from that particular cast. 
> 
> * I will be attempting to post one chapter weekly at minimum, if not two or possibly more. 
> 
> * Tags will be updated as the story goes on. 
> 
> * So many thanks to my beta writer. She has put up with so much during this story's formation and this would not be possible without her. I cannot express just how much gratitude I feel.

_July 25th, 1899_

_  
_

_2:48 A.M._

The worst pain David Jacobs could recall ever experiencing had been when he was eight years old and arguably stupid, and had fallen from a tree in the park near his school. Of course, one month of heavy rest later he’d been fine, but the moment of impact and its aftermath had stuck with him as the most painful day of his life. But then, at least he’d known there was an end in sight. There was some kind of ending point, when he would be healed and everything would be normal, but…

He bit his tongue as he fought not to cry out when another wave of pain pulsed through his body, and tried his best not to wake his sleeping brother beside him.

_This._

It was like he’d swallowed something freshly struck from iron, searing hot and heavy and excruciatingly painful. At the same time, a gaping hole had opened in the exact same place in his stomach, leaving a void behind that could never be filled. He wrapped his arms around his middle and turned over to his other side, away from Les, trying to stay as still as possible. Even if he felt like melting from the inside out. 

Ironically, it wasn’t Les that noticed, but Sarah, from her bed across the room. It seemed the moment he awoke, consumed by the feeling of burning and emptiness, she was there, kneeling at his bedside with an outstretched hand. He tried not to flinch when she touched his shoulder, but everything was so sensitive, so _loud_ and _consuming_ around him that even the glow of the streetlamp was overwhelming in its harshness. But Sarah’s face was soft and gentle. Her eyes flickered over him in the dark, filled with worry she didn’t bother to conceal, when she stood up quickly and hurried out of the room. 

David opened his mouth to protest, but the world was spinning and Sarah was faster, and in the time it took him to blink, she'd brought their mother to his side.

“David?” she murmured, taking his hand gently into her own. “What is it?”

He mumbled incoherently in reply, unable to properly speak. The heat was simply so unbearable that he couldn’t find it in himself to focus on anything else. His mother’s eyes widened in fear.

She turned to Sarah. “Take Les,” she commanded quietly.

His sister, looking as fearful as their mother, nodded immediately and reached over David to scoop Les into her arms, careful of the injury he’d sustained from the strike. He muttered quietly in his sleep but didn’t stir, and nuzzled contently into her chest as she exited the room.

His mother laid her free hand on his forehead, as if she thought him ill. Though he knew she meant the best, she wouldn’t feel even a fraction of what he was feeling now, not even close. Everything was too hot, too painful, too _suffocating_. The taste of metal bathed his bitten tongue, but still he refused to cry out. Her eyes softened as she took in his state, and he watched the corners of her lips twitch downward in confusion. She pulled back the sheet covering him and gasped aloud.

No doubt she noticed the erection straining tightly against his nightclothes, but it was ten times as uncomfortable as it probably looked; hot and leaking and curved upward toward his belly. In any normal circumstance, David would’ve had the decency to blush and feel embarrassment, but there was only burning and pain and need. Something felt slick between his legs somewhere behind the throbbing at the apex of his thighs. His entire body pulsed, making him whimper faintly.

His mother looked horrified.

Sarah re-entered just then, and hurried to their mother’s side and crouched by his bed. She looked between him and her with wide, worried eyes, silently begging to know what she had no comprehension of. His mother turned and whispered something hurriedly to Sarah, who clambored back up to her feet and quietly dashed out of the room. His mother stayed by his side and delicately took his hand in both of hers. He swallowed thickly, throat feeling dry and raw.

“Sarah?” he croaked.

His mother pushed some of his damp hair off his sweaty forehead with her long, elegant fingers and hushed him softly between strokes of her hand.

“She’s looking for something to help you, sweetheart.”

“But I don’t-”

“David, please,” she said, and begged him to say no more.

He could hear Sarah clamoring about in the pantry, metal and wood and glass all banging against each other. The scent of herbs drifted to him; she was digging in the spice cabinet, but why? It honestly sounded like she was just making a big mess. In truth, it kind of warmed his heart to know his sister was so worried. His mother smiled slightly, apparently able to sense the hesitance he couldn’t hide.

“I’ll go help her,” she said, rising from her knees on the floor. She gave his hand a tight squeeze. “Will you be alright for a bit, David?”

He blinked blankly for a moment, but nodded to reassure her. She didn’t look entirely convinced, but the sound of something hitting the floor in the other room provided just enough initiative to tear her away from his bedside. Her hand slipped out of his.

“I will be right back,” she promised, her image beginning to blur in his eyes before she left the room.

David let his arm fall limply by his side and curled further into himself to shut everything out, if only for a moment’s respite in hopes it all would go dark and leave him be, where he could lie in his bed and nothing else. Dealing with this alone was absolute torture, even if for a minute; at least when his mother and sister were there, they could somewhat comfort him, but he made very poor company to himself. He wrapped his arms tightly around his middle, feeling painfully empty. It wasn’t an emptiness he had ever felt before. 

He arched his back and moaned in pain through his teeth as the ache pulsated and reached through every nerve in his body, holding him captive against the mattress. He clenched his jaw until he could hear his teeth grind together, yet he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t stop any of this.

It was a relief when his vision finally went dark.

Suddenly, someone was shaking him violently by the shoulder, desperately calling his name. The jostling wasn’t very pleasant, and he scowled as his eyes fluttered open when the person did not relent, fully ready to give them a piece of his mind. His senses trickled back to him,revived steadily by time. He muttered gruffly, how dare they take away the only mercy he had been allowed-

Oh.

Before him knelt Sarah and his mother, his sister holding a teacup on a saucer out to him. Her eyes were wide, fearful, as she held tightly to the small plate.

“D-David,” she stammered. “Drink this, p-please.”

Her hands were positively trembling.

“It should help you,” his mother added, not looking much better than his sister. “Please, David.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. His mother slid a comforting hand behind his back, settling right between his shoulder blades (he tried not to think about the sweat soaking his nightshirt), and helped him rise to a sitting position until he was able to take the teacup from Sarah in hand. He felt a bit relieved that they no longer had to worry about her dropping it on the floor; his mother would probably echo the sentiment.

He glanced down into the cup he’d been given. The liquid swirling inside wasn’t tea, he could tell that much- at least, not any kind of tea he’d ever had. Its color was indistinguishable in the darkness, but its scent wasn’t one he recognized at all, though not unpleasant. It smelled faintly of earth, a bit sweet too, with some unrecognizable, strong scent that lingered in his nostrils. He drew in a deep breath of it, trying to place the smell, when suddenly, shockingly, a bit of the burn inside him dissipated. Now incredibly curious, he lifted the cup to his lips and took a drawn out sip, letting the flavor wash over his tongue before he swallowed. Its warmth was pleasant, almost like it tingled as it slid down his gullet and into his belly, where the feeling stayed and began to fill the gaping emptiness. He stared wide-eyed at Sarah and his mother.

“What… what is this?” he marveled, taking another sip without moving his gaze.

His mother shook her head. “I don’t know, it was from your grandmother. She gave it to us in a small tin, never told us what was in it. She only said-” She paused and swallowed hard.

She was silent for a moment. David took another drink, his relief growing with every passing moment, as well as his curiosity.

“... What did she say?” he urged when she didn’t continue.

His mother sighed. “It provides relief from heats. For omegas.”

The teacup nearly slipped through his fingers. “What?”

“David, you must be presenting,” she explained calmly, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He nearly pulled away.

“W-What do you mean?” he stammered. It suddenly felt like he’d dropped into a pond in the middle of winter. His heart was pounding in his ears; this could _not_ be true. “I’m a beta, like you, like Father, like Sarah.”

Her grip tightened around his fingers, almost like she didn’t want it to be true either. “You know it is possible to present at any time between thirteen and twenty two.”

“What if I don’t _want_ to be an omega?” It was a stupid argument and he knew it, but the thought of being an omega was too much to bear. His entire life had been turned on its head in an instant; it wasn’t like he could just lie down and take it.

“David,” she said, and nothing more. But she might as well have told him he was being ridiculous, that this was how it was what was going to happen whether he liked it or not, and he had no say in the matter.

“I-I’ve been a beta my whole life,” he pleaded. “I don’t know who I am without it.” 

“Now that’s just absurd,” Sarah snapped. His gaze shot up from his cup to her in surprise. “You’re much more than an alpha or beta or omega or whatever,” she continued, crossing her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t change who you are. Mother and I aren’t any better or worse than you because we’re betas.”

“How do you know how it feels?” he snarled in reply. “I just started and it’s burning, it’s-it’s pain, you’re _empty_ , Sarah, like nothing in the whole world can fill you, it won’t ever be satisfied. And-And I was _scared_ , I still am, I don’t know what’s happening to me and I can’t stop it. There hasn’t been an omega in our family since our great-grandmother! And it has to be **me**?” He dug his fingers into the mattress. “You know what it’s like, this isn’t some fairy tale where everything is gentle and people want to help, Sarah. If they smell this on me it’s only a matter of time before I get cornered and when I can’t escape, where am I supposed to go? What am I supposed to do? They’ll slam me into the street and bruise me, inside and out, they’ll break me into bits and flush whatever they find inside down the gutter. I won’t come back to you the same David.” He gripped his hair tightly in his fist and grit his teeth as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. “And the worst part is that I can’t even help it, I’ll want it. Being an omega, I-I won’t be a person anymore, I just-”

He could say no more as his mother lunged toward him and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing quietly. 

“David, please,” she begged, kissed his forehead, then both cheeks. “Please don’t say things like that.” A tender hand reached up and began to untangle his fingers from their death grip on his dark locks. He relaxed slightly when she started carding through his hair.

“These herbs will suppress your heat; no one will even know you’ve presented, I promise,” she whispered, kissing his forehead once more before guiding his head to lay steadily on her shoulder. “It won’t come to that.”

He felt his body start to tremble. “You don’t know what’s in it.” Warmth trailed down his cheek, wet and shameful as his resolve began to deteriorate. 

“Your grandmother did,” his mother replied certainly. “She must have kept a recipe.”

“And we’ll find it,” Sarah added, nodding furiously.

“The tin is near full. And you can wear a stronger scent of aftershave to further disguise your scent. Not even the most determined alpha will be able to find you.” His mother took his undoubtedly tear-streaked face in her hands and made him stare her right in the eyes, which still glistened in the low light of the streetlamp. “We will protect you, David. I am your mother; I would do anything to keep you safe.”

He could’ve wept from relief. But more sobbing wouldn’t have done any good for anyone involved, so instead, he gratefully wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

“Come here whenever you feel the effects going away,” his mother spoke into his shoulder. “Even if it’s just a little. I want you to be safe.”

“Y-Yes Ma,” he promised, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

“I mean it,” she replied sternly. “Even if you’re out selling papers or with your friends or even if you’re out with the most flawless alpha girl you’ve ever laid eyes on, you come back home.”

He snorted. “I will, I will.”

“I’m putting all my effort into finding this recipe for you, David. It helped you, didn’t it?”

“... Very much, yes.”

“Then please,” she murmured. “Please be safe.”

His mother pulled back and kissed him gently on the forehead. With a twinge of guilt, he couldn’t help but notice the way her cheeks were wet and shiny, even in the low light of the street lamps.

“So you’d better listen,” Sarah muttered, giving him a slap on the arm. “I don’t want to find you passed out in one of the alleys somewhere. Or have to hear about it from one of the newsies, could you imagine-!”

“Sarah,” their mother chided softly.

Sarah went quiet at the mention of her name, but her bottom lip still stuck out a bit. David almost chuckled; she still hadn’t outgrown her infamous pout. Their mother turned back to him and held his hand in hers.

“Will you be alright tonight?”

He thought about it a little, but there was no trace of the terrible feeling that had been tearing him apart just minutes ago. “I think so.”

Her eyes softened and she smiled ever so slightly. “Then I’ll let you get some sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow.”

The words struck a chord with him. “You know what happened today, don’t you?”

“Yes, David. You were very brave, and you got Les home safely. A line was crossed today, sweetheart.”

David self-consciously touched his bruised cheek. “I thought you…”

“That Jack Kelly, thank him for me, would you? It’s thanks to you both that Les came home tonight,” she replied, ignoring his half-finished sentence. “I’ve never seen you so passionate about anything.”

He felt himself start to flush. “It’s just the right thing to do…”

“You’re very right, my dear.” She rose from his bed and bent down to kiss both him and Sarah on the cheek. “Sleep well, now. Morning comes awfully early.”

“Mm-hm,” he agreed, pulling her hand so he could kiss her knuckles softly. “Thank you, Mother.”

_For everything._

She just smiled back at him.

“Don’t thank me yet. But I’ll make sure you can.”


End file.
